Meet Sandy Dorsainvil, cultural curator and social activist

Courants du Monde is a program of the French Ministry of Culture that explores the link between culture and local development, with a particular focus on the cultural management model in the French overseas territories, and specifically on Martinique. Discussions throughout the program focused on how to consider the specific characteristics, territorial development strategies and cultural challenges of a given territory when implementing cultural policies. We asked Sandy to share with us her experience in Martinique.

• What lessons have you learned from participating in the Courants du Monde seminar in Martinique, both professionally and personally?

Participating in the Courants du Monde seminar in Martinique was both affirming and transformative. Professionally, it deepened my understanding of how cultural diplomacy can empower communities with shared histories of migration, resilience, and creativity. As someone who works at the intersection of cultural programming, community development, and heritage preservation through the Route 1804 Foundation, Sounds of Little Haiti, and the Opa-locka Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), I found the exchanges invaluable.

The seminar reminded me that culture is an essential tool for social cohesion and economic revitalization. It reaffirmed my belief that the arts and cultural heritage can serve as catalysts for inclusive growth when they are integrated into broader development strategies.

On a personal level, spending time in Martinique—a space that mirrors many of the social and cultural dynamics of Haiti and Miami—was deeply grounding. It reconnected me to the broader Caribbean identity that informs my work and reminded me of the importance of self-care, reflection, and cross-cultural empathy in sustaining a long-term commitment to community impact.

• How has this experience enriched your thinking about cultural policies and international cooperation in overseas territories?

The seminar offered a rare lens into how territories like Martinique are shaping innovative, people-centered cultural policies. I came away with a richer understanding of how culture, when prioritized in policy, can foster sustainable tourism, creative entrepreneurship, and inter generational dialogue.

For me, it reinforced that overseas territories are not margins of the Francophone world—they are global laboratories of cultural innovation. Their experiences demonstrate how heritage, ecology, and identity should inform policy frameworks that are both locally rooted and internationally relevant.

As a cultural producer working in Miami’s Haitian and Caribbean diaspora, this perspective is vital. It challenges me to advocate for policies that value cultural spaces—like Little Haiti and Opa-locka—as international hubs of exchange, not simply local neighborhoods. It also expanded my vision of international cooperation as something organic and ongoing, built through shared creative practice rather than formal agreements alone.

• How do you plan to leverage the exchanges and partnerships initiated during the program in your future actions within your institution?

The relationships and insights developed during Courants du Monde are already influencing how I think about future collaborations. With Route 1804 Foundation, I plan to expand our cultural exchange programs to include residencies and knowledge-sharing initiatives between Miami and the Francophone Caribbean. I see real potential for connecting artists and curators in Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Florida through workshops, performances, and policy dialogues that spotlight the Caribbean’s contribution to global culture.

At Sounds of Little Haiti, these insights will inform how we present our 10th anniversary and future editions—embedding more opportunities for regional partnerships, co-productions, and artist mobility. And within the Opa-locka CRA, I hope to integrate cultural diplomacy into our urban revitalization strategies, using art and storytelling as tools to strengthen community identity and attract international creative investment.

Ultimately, I want to build on the spirit of Courants du Monde—turning cultural connection into shared action that uplifts both artists and communities across borders.